Appointment of new Odisha Governor raises eyebrows

Bhubaneswar: A day after President of India Ram Nath Kovind appointed former Haryana BJP chief Prof Ganeshi Lal as the new Governor of Odisha, the ruling and opposition party in the State have engaged in a blame game.

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has criticised the move claiming that Kovind’s decision was politically-motivated.

BJD Spokesperson Pratap Deb said, “Prima facie going by the media reports, there will be doubt in everyone’s minds about his appointment, and that’s natural. But, as long as he has not been administered oath and not taken charge, it is not good to comment on anything.”

On the other hand, the Congress too, disapproving the decision of the President, stated that it is unfortunate the way Prime Minister Narendra Modi is doing injustice.

Senior Congress leader Suresh Routray said, “I have doubts over his appointment. The President has appointed an RSS member as the Governor. Lal is his party’s leader and it is unfortunate. Modi is doing injustice.”

Lal, who is currently the National President of BJP Disciplinary Committee, is likely to take charge as the new Governor of Odisha either on Monday or Tuesday, informed sources.

“A Governor is the Constitutional Head. The four main aspects in the Constitution are Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. If I combine all these, then I would say ‘All is one’. May be this is what a Governor needs to focus on. I will learn quickly as this is the first time I have been appointed as the Governor of a State,” stated Lal.

According to a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique, Prof. Ganeshi Lal will take over as the new Governor of Odisha, a post which had fallen vacant in March this year after veteran Naga leader SC Jamir completed his tenure.